The present disclosure adopts the following composition in order to achieve the object described above. In other words, one example of an information processing program relating to the present disclosure is a computer-readable medium storing an information processing program which causes a computer to function as a feature detection unit which detects a feature arranged in a real space an image generation unit which generates an image of a virtual space including a virtual object arranged based on the detected feature a display control unit which causes a display apparatus to display an image in such a manner that a user perceives the image of the virtual space superimposed on the real space a processing specification unit which specifies processing that can be executed in relation to the virtual space, based on the feature; and a menu output unit which outputs a menu for a user to instruct the processing specified by the processing specification unit, in such a manner that the menu can be operated by the user.
Here, the display apparatus may be connected as a peripheral device to a computer which executes a program relating to the present disclosure, or may be connected to a computer via a communications network, or the like. Furthermore, the computer which is the subject that executes the program relating to the present disclosure may be constructed in a virtual environment, such as a so-called “cloud”.
Furthermore, a feature arranged in the real space may be, for example, a so-called AR (augmented reality) marker, or a two-dimensional barcode, or other code. A feature of this kind may be attached to a component such as a card, or the like. Furthermore, the feature of this kind is not limited to a special marker or code, and so on. An article which is used for other purposes can also be employed as the feature, provided that it enables a display reference for the virtual object to be acquired.
According to the present disclosure, processing that can be executed in relation to the virtual space is specified based on a feature which is detected in the real space, and a menu for a user to instruct specified processing is output, whereby it is possible to impart variation corresponding to the features in the real space to the processing that can be executed in relation to the virtual space, in augmented reality technology.
There are no restrictions of the type of augmented reality technology to which the present disclosure can be applied. The present disclosure can be applied, for example, to augmented reality technology of a type in which a user perceives an image of a virtual space superimposed on a real space by displaying a composite image of a virtual space image synthesized with a captured image, and can also be applied to augmented reality technology of a type in which a user perceives an image of a virtual space superimposed on a real space by projecting a virtual space image in the field of view of the user (for example, a head-up display (HUD), or the like).
Furthermore, the program may further cause the computer to function as a captured image acquisition unit which acquires a captured image captured by an imaging apparatus, and the feature detection unit may detect a feature in the real space captured in the captured image, based on the captured image.
Moreover, the display control unit may enable a user to perceive an image of the virtual space superimposed on the real space, by causing the display apparatus to display a composite image in which the image of the virtual space is superimposed on the captured image.
Furthermore, the feature detection unit may detect a feature by which at least one of a type of the feature, a position and a posture thereof in the real space can be identified, and the processing specification unit may specify the processing by using at least one of the type of the feature, the position and the posture thereof in the real space, as identified based on the feature detected by the feature detection unit.
Moreover, the processing specification unit may specify the processing in accordance with at least one of the type of the feature, the position and the posture thereof as detected by the feature detection unit.
Furthermore, the processing specification unit may specify the processing in accordance with at least one of a relationship between types of a plurality of features, a relationship between positions thereof and a relationship between postures thereof, the plurality of features having been detected by the feature detection unit.
Moreover, the processing specification unit may, when there is one feature detected by the feature detection unit, specify the processing based on the feature, and when there is a plurality of features detected by the feature detection unit, specify the processing based on a relationship between the plurality of features.
By specifying processing that can be executed in accordance with a combination of a plurality of features, it is possible to vary the processing that can be executed in accordance with the relationship between features in the real space, and an augmented reality function having greater flexibility can be presented.
Furthermore, the program may also further cause the computer to function as an operation receiving unit which receives an operation by a user with respect to the menu; and a processing execution unit which executes processing in accordance with the operation by the user received by the operation receiving unit.
Moreover, the processing may be at least one of processing with respect to the virtual object, processing relating to actions of the virtual object, and processing with respect to the virtual space including the virtual object.
Furthermore, when a plurality of features is detected by the feature detection unit, the processing specification unit may specify the processing for each feature.
Moreover, when there is a plurality of combinations of features detected by the feature detection unit, the processing specification unit may specify the processing in accordance with the combinations.
Furthermore, the display apparatus may have a first display region and a second display region, the display control unit may cause the image of the virtual space to be displayed in the first display region, and the menu output unit may output the menu so as to be displayed in the second display region.
Moreover, the present disclosure can also be understood as an information processing apparatus, an information processing system including one or a plurality of information processing apparatuses, a method executed by a computer, or a program which is executed in a computer. Furthermore, the present disclosure may be a program of this kind recorded on a recording medium which can be read by a computer or other apparatus, machine, or the like. Here, a recording medium which can be read by a computer, or the like, is a recording medium on which information, such as data, a program, or the like, is stored by an electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical or chemical action, and from which the information can be read by a computer, or the like.